Padmavat

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बोलहु सुआ पियारे-नाहाँ । मोरे रूप कोइ जग माहाँ ?
सुमिरि रूप पदमावति केरा । हँसा सुआ, रानी मुख हेरा ॥
(नागमती-सुवा-संवाद-खंड )
"Who is more beautiful, I or Padmavati?,
Queen Nagamati asks to her new parrot, and it gives a displeasing reply...";

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An illustrated manuscript of Padmavat, c1750

Padmavat (पद्मावत) (or Padmawat) is an epic poem written in 1540 by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in the Awadhi language. It is the first important work in Awadhi language [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V02_465.gifPadmavat] The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 2, p. 430.] .

Theme

This epic poem is a fictionalized version of the historic siege of Chittor by Alauddin Khilji in 1303 AD, who attacks Chittor after hearing of the beauty of queen Rani Padmini, the wife of King Rawal Ratan Singh .

According to Jaisi, "Chitor" stood for “body”, “Raja” for “mind”, “Ceylon” for “heart”, “Padmini” for “wisdom” and “Alauddin” for “lust”.

तन चितउर, मन राजा कीन्हा । हिय सिंघल, बुधि पदमिनि चीन्हा ॥
गुरू सुआ जेइ पंथ देखावा । बिनु गुरु जगत को निरगुन पावा ?॥
नागमती यह दुनिया-धंधा । बाँचा सोइ न एहि चित बंधा ॥
राघव दूत सोई सैतानू । माया अलाउदीं सुलतानू ॥
प्रेम-कथा एहि भाँति बिचारहु । बूझि लेहु जौ बूझै पारहु ॥

Jaisi imagined Padmavat as the world and the ruler as desire. The whole story was built around this figment of imagination.

Some part of the work is dedicated to Sher Shah (1486 – 1545). e.g :

सेरसाहि देहली-सुलतान । चारिउ खंड तपै जस भानू ॥
ओही छाज छात औ पाटा । सब राजै भुइँ धरा लिलाटा ॥

तह लगि राज खडग करि लीन्हा । इसकंदर जुलकरन जो कीन्हा ॥
हाथ सुलेमाँ केरि अँगूठी । जग कहँ दान दीन्ह भरि मूठी ॥
औ अति गरू भूमिपति भारी । टेक भूमि सब सिहिट सँभारी ॥

दीन्ह असीस मुहम्मद, करहु जुगहि जुग राज ।
बादसाह तुम जगत के जग तुम्हार मुहताज ॥13॥

Cultural influence

The poem is the ultimate source of Albert Roussel's opera "Padmâvatî" (1923).

References

External links

* [http://www.onderzoekinformatie.nl/en/oi/nod/onderzoek/OND1292759/]
* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0279(195704%2F06)77%3A2%3C153%3AP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-9] on JSTOR